Trail section closures will begin on 27 June. The complete trail will not be available again until December 2019.

In response to enquires from The Inside Story, Singapore’s PUB confirmed that on Monday 27 June 2016 the area of the Green Corridor between Holland Road and Commonwealth Avenue will be the first to close as the Murnane Water Pipeline works get underway.

PUB has begun posting signage along the trail to inform users of the upcoming closure.

My first mountain bike ride on the Rail Trail, a.k.a. the Green Corridor, took place on 19 January 2013. Three years later on 15 June 2016 I enjoyed what might be my last ride until sometime in 2019, if a planned water main construction project finishes on schedule.

The end is near

Since the announcement of the water main project was made, the second quarter of 2016 has loomed ominously for patrons of the Green Corridor.

To keep the public informed, Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB) produced a useful map that has been distributed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). This map shows the sections of the Green Corridor that will be affected.

Some good news

For all sections south of Jalan Anak Bukit, the construction is expected to begin by the end of June 2016.

However, there are a few reasons to be cheerful.

Not all sections will be closed. For example, the Map indicates that during the construction an alternate path will be made available starting from Holland Road heading north.

There might also be some extra time available before the Green Corridor is actually closed.

During my ride on 15 June 2016, there were no signs whatsoever of an impending closure.

In addition, the trail conditions were superb. In the three years that’s I’ve cycled on the Green Corridor I have never experienced better conditions. The path is solid thanks to efforts to limit the mud and improve the drainage, and the greenery has rarely been so lush. A great combination!

If you live in Singapore you are familiar with two laws that are now getting a lot of attention; the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act of 2014 and Section 377A of the Penal Code.

The Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) was enacted in 2014 in reaction to decades of air pollution caused by land users in Indonesia. The THPA was meant to provide the government with a mechanism to prosecute companies that use the slash and burn land clearing method. This method causes severe, sometimes hazardous pollution of the air in Singapore, Malaysia and beyond. The related health hazards and economic impact are substantial.

In business news, there has been a lot of attention given to Singapore’s Neptune Orient Lines, a company that has received international accolades for its innovative business approach, customer-focused strategies and IT capabilities.

The Prime Minister is quoted in The Straits Times of 10 June 2016 saying, “We have become completely dependent on our IT systems… and we have to make sure that our system is secure. We can’t get infiltrated, data cannot be stolen, somebody can’t come in and wipe out your data or cause some other mischief.”

Singapore – The decision to disable all HDB lifts was made in response to recent lift accidents resulting with one death and one spinal fracture, said the Lift Maintenance Authority of Singapore (LMAS) at a media briefing on Saturday.

James Dean, LMAS chief executive, said: “Like elsewhere, the lifts of Singapore have had their ups and downs. As public servants, we have a duty and responsibility to protect the citizens. It is crucial we prevent any possibility of any further deaths and injuries.”

“This move of disabling all HDB lifts will eliminate any chance of further accidents. Lift safety is a key enabler for our bold ‘We like using the stairs’ campaign. We can’t enjoy using the stairs if we are dead or badly injured.”